Itinerary Rome - Amalfi in June

Question? How many NIGHTS will you have on the ground in Italy? That'll tell us how much time you really have to work with. What's more important to you, Amalfi Coast or Rome, and can you be a bit more specific about what "major spots" your group wants to see?

Is that 7 NIGHTS on the ground in Italy or just 6 NIGHTS?

Not really a lot of time either way but best use of time would mean heading to Amalfi on arrival spending first 3 nights there then return to Rome for all your Rome nights at end.

The trip to “ Amalfi” will take a good chunk of your arrival day so 3 nights there is really only 2 full days. For that reason I’d recommend staying in Sorrento and day tripping the Amalfi coast by ferry, bus or private driver
Or Mondo Guides
www.sharedtours.com

7 nights. Most important is the Vatican, catacombs, Coliseum, then Pompeii and honestly both areas are of equal interest to the group. Also was thinking best to land early in Rome, grab rental car and head south to end up in Rome at the end for ease of departure. Also would love to include Capri or Ischia.

Thx ! So it does make sense to head south first. Will look into Sorrento. Any recommendations for preferred neighborhood in Rome to stay ?

Very interested in private driver.
So maybe best to transfer to Sorrento and do local driver for ease of mind, avoid rental. Also there is interest in visiting a winery or 2 in the area.

No need to drive to Sorrento/Amalfi
A car will just be an expensive headache there

Take a look at Mondo Guides Amalfi day trip in link above

Take the fast train to Naples then the local Circumvesuviana or have a driver pick you up at station to drive you to Sorrento

We used this one. It was 100 euros

https://www.topexcursionsorrento.com/?portal_referer_id=46

Split between 4 that’s quite reasonable

Pompeii needs a few hours at least and Capri is at least a half day and can’t really be done on same day so you will need to prioritize
Amalfi towns another day
With just 2 full days in Sorrento you don’t have time for everything

All great advice; cannot do it all; thx especially for the transportation advice..

OK, you've gotten some very good advice already. :O)
7 nights is not very much for the coast + Rome, especially since your arrival day could be a jet-lagged haze.

As mentioned, you do not want (or need) a car on the Amalfi Coast in high season; traffic can be fierce and parking scarce and expensive. You also do not want or need one for Rome. Other than the recommended hired driver from Naples to Sorrento, I'd plan on doing this entire trip via public transit.

This is just a sample itinerary I'll throw out?
Day 1 - arrive in Rome and transfer to Sorrento. This could eat up a good chunk of the day, and jet lag could be a factor. Check in and explore Sorrento until bedtime.

Day 2: Explore the Amalfi Coast (Positano, Amalfi, Ravello) via ferries and/or public bus.

Day 3: Pompeii.Plan on at least 1/2 day for that, and the rest of the day for more Sorrento and maybe some pool time at the hotel? It could be quite hot, and Pompeii has little shade so some time in the water might be welcome! Book a hotel with a pool. Pompeii is HUGE, much bigger than people expect it to be so if you book a tour lasting only 2 hours or so I'd plan on spending more time there on your own. We spent 5 (all on our own, with a guidebook) and didn't cover it all.

Day 4; Capri. If you've an interest in some hiking, it would be easy to spend the entire day there. We did some nice treks, and swimming is possible too although it's not what I'd call a beach destination. More info: https://www.capri.net, and no tours needed as it's easy to explore on your own. Skip the Blue Grotto; it's a time and money eater for the short amount of time in the thing; the closest Capri has to a tourist trap, IMHO. Alternately you could book a boat tour? Gianni's Boat has seen really good reviews for years - I sent a honeymoon couple to them awhile back and they had a great time - so give it a look? Might be a good choice for a young, active group. :O)

https://www.giannisboat.com

This full-day shared tour includes lunch, swimming, sightseeing from the sunny deck + a few hours on the island. They have shorter cruises too, and it's possible you could have them price a custom cruise day for just the 4 of you.
https://www.giannisboat.com/en/i/S78UR

Day 5 - transfer to Rome in the morning. Drop the bags and do a walkabout. You can, BTW, view lots of Rome's illuminated monuments for free via night strolls; great time for that! This is also when you want to do stuff like Trevi Fountain, Spanish Steps, Piazza Navona, etc. so that your daytime hours are free for attractions with open/closed hours.

Day 6 - Vatican + anything else you still have energy for. This can't be a Sunday, BTW, and the museums are closed most of those. A time saver? The museums will be open on Friday and Saturday evenings during the summer, which would free up some daytime hours for other stuff.

Day 7 - Colosseum, (Forum + Palatine?), Pantheon and a catacomb
Again, if you're hikers, I'd love to send you out for a trek on the Appia Antica, and you could do one of two catacombs along the way. You could spend the day doing that, and see about tickets for the Colossum at night?

Day 8: fly back to the US.

OK, feel free to rip it apart or tweak!

Short ferry ride to Capri - easy from dock in Sorrento and just a couple euros for bus down the Amalfi coast to Positino…also a short ferry ride to Naples…skip blue grotto-time consuming tourist event.

Kathy and Michael!!
Thank you so much .. Kathy, your plan fits our wishes so well : want to hike, and all the rest sounds logical and doable .. I am so grateful to you and all ! Have to get back in the game and it has been 2 years .. THX!

Nice winery on the slopes of Vesuvius with views over the Bay of Naples.

Presentation was lots of fun, and your party may get to stomp the grapes.

Wines were surprisingly very good as was the food.

They also have a shuttle that runs from Pompeii.

https://www.cantinadelvesuvio.it/en/tastings